Dr. Martin Luther
Source: “Sermon XII – On Prayer,” from Thirty-Four Sermons on the most Interesting Doctrines of the Gospel by that Eminently Great Divine and Reformer, Martin Luther (London: Cale and Fenner, 1816), pp. 122-124. No date for this sermon was found in the text.
That prayer may be good indeed, and may also be heard, we must first consider that two things are necessary thereunto; one, that we first meditate upon the promise of God, and do as it were advertise God thereof, and trusting unto it, be emboldened and made cheerful to pray; for unless God had commanded us to pray, and had promised also that he will hear us, even all creatures could not obtain so much as a grain by their petitions. Whereupon it followeth, that no man doth obtain any thing of God for his own worthiness, or the worthiness of his prayer, but by the only goodness of God, who preventing all our petitions and desires provoketh us to pray and desire of him, by his gentle and bounteous promise and commandment, that we may learn how great care he hath over us, and is ready to give us more things than we durst enterprise to ask, and that we may also learn to pray boldly, inasmuch as he giveth us all things, even in more ample manner than we do ask them.
It is necessary that we do no whit doubt of the promise of the true and faithful God, for therefore he hath promised that he will hear us, yea, and hath commanded us to pray, that we might have a sure and strong faith that our prayer should be so heard, as he saith, Matt, xxi. and Mark, xi. " Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." And in Luke, chap. xi. 9. " And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you : seek, and ye shall find : knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth : and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone ? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion ? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children ; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" We must boldly trust to these and such like promises and commandments, and pray with true confidence. If one so prayeth, that he doubt whether God hear him, and maketh his prayer only at a venture, caring not greatly whether he be heard or not heard, he commiteth a double offence. One, for that he himself maketh his prayer frustrate, and laboureth in vain; for so James saith, chap. i. 6, 7. " But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." Such a man's heart is not quiet and settled, wherefore God can give him nothing; but faith maketh the heart quiet, and capable of the gifts of God.
The other offence is, that he counteth the most faithful and true God, as a lying, vain, and inconstant man, as he which neither is able, neither will fulfil his promises, so by his doublings he robbeth God of his honour, and name of faithfulness, and truth. Whereby it is so grievously offended, that even that offence being committed, a Christian is plainly changed into a heathen, and denieth and loseth his true God, so that if he continue therein, he is damned for ever without all comfort; and if any thing be given unto him, which he asketh, it is given him not to good but to evil, as well temporal as eternal, not for his prayer sake, but from the wrath of God, that he may recompense those goodly words, which are uttered in sins, unbelief, and to the dishonour of God. Some say, I would trust indeed that my prayers should be heard, if 1 were worthy, or if I could pray well. Then, say I, if thou wilt not pray, before thou shalt know and find thyself fit to pray, thou shalt never pray. For as it is before said, our prayer must not rest upon our worthiness, or the worthiness of itself, or be grounded thereon, but upon the immutable truth of the promise of God. If so be that it trust to itself or any other thing, and ground itself thereon, it is false and deceiveth thee, although thy heart should even burst by reason of the ardent affection of godliness, and thou shouldest weep nothing but drops of blood. For therefore we pray, because we are unworthy to pray, and hereby surely we are made worthy to pray, and fit to be heard, inasmuch as we think that we are worthy, and do boldly and chearfully trust to the faithfulness and truth of God.
Although thou be unworthy, yet have regard hereunto, and mark most diligently, that a thousand times more consisteth in this, that thou honour the truth of God, and not with thy doubtfulness" accuse his faithful promise of falsehood. For thine own worthiness doth not further thee, neither thy unworthiness hinder thee: but infidelity doth contemn thee, trust and confidence maketh thee worthy and preserveth thee ; wherefore so behave thyself all thy life long, that thou do not at any time esteem thysself either worthy or fit to pray or receive, unless thou find thyself to be such a one as dareth enterprise the matter freely, trusting to the true and certain promise of thy merciful God, which will so shew both his mercy and goodness unto thee, that as he promised to hear thee being unworthy, and having not deserved it, of his mere grace, moved with no prayers; so he will hear thee being an unworthy asker, of his only grace, to the honour of his truth and promise, that thou mayest give thanks, not to thine own worthiness, but to his truth, whereby lie hath fulfilled his promise, and to his mercy, wherein he hath made and set forth his promise. And this the 25th Psalm confirmeth, where David saith," Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment ; and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto such as keep his covenant, and his testimonies." Grace and mercy are in his promise, faithfulness or truth in fulfilling and hearing. And in the 85th Psalm, he saith, " Mercy and truth arc met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other," that is they come together in every work and gift, which we obtain of the Lord by praying. In this trust and confidence thou must so behave thyself that thou do not limit to the Lord any bound or end, day or place, neither appoint any manner or measure of hearing, but that thou do commit all those things to his divine will, wisdom, and omnipotence, that thou boldly and cheerfully look to be heard, and yet not desire to know, how, and where, how soon, and how long, and by what means.
For his divine wisdom shall find a better manner and measure, time and place, than we can think, even although that should be done by miracles. Even as in the Old Testament, Exod. xiv. when the children of Israel trusted that God would deliver them, and yet no possible means were before their eyes, or in all their thoughts, then the Red Sea opened itself, and gave them passage, drowning all their enemies at once. The holy woman Judith, when she heard that, the citizens of Bethulia would after the space of five days give up the city, if God in the mean time did not help them, rebuked them, saying, " What are ye, that ye tempt the Lord ? those are not devices and purposes, whereby we obtain mercy of God, but rather whereby we provoke him unto wrath and displeasure. Will ye set the mercy of the Lord a time, and appoint him a day after your will!" Hereupon God did help her after a marvellous sort, that at the last she slew Holofernes, and put the enemies to flight, Judith, xiii. So Saint Paul also saith, Eph, iii, 20. that the power of God is such and so great, that it doth far greater and better things than we either ask or think. Wherefore we ought to think ourselves more vile, than that we may may appoint, or prescribe the time, place, manner, measure, and other circumstances of that which we ask of God, but we must leave all things wholly unto him, constantly and boldly, believing that he will hear us.